Panasonic is pleased to announce a new cutting-edge interchangeable lens LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 14-42mm / F3.5-5.6 ASPH. / POWER O.I.S. with electric-powered zoom operation from the new premium lens brand "X" for LUMIX G Micro System that complies with Micro Four Thirds System standard.

Although the lens is not a single focus length lens but is a zoom lens, the retractable-type zoom lens boasts outstanding compactness with approx. 26.8mm* in length and approx. 95g in weight to realize ultra-high mobility. Notably, the astonishingly short overall length is realized by the inclusion of 4 aspherical lenses. The zoom lever on the lens barrel gives user a stable zooming while manual focusing is also available with manual focus lever for more precise control.

The new LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 14-42mm / F3.5-5.6 ASPH. / POWER O.I.S. lens offers a versatile zoom range of 14-42mm (35mm camera equivalent: 28-84mm) suitable for a wide range of scenes from dynamic landscape to portrait. Comprising of 9 lenses in 8 groups, the lens system features excellent contrast at entire zoom range. The inclusion of 4 aspherical lenses that helps achieving the downsizing of lens unit also improves optical performance by minimizing distortion, even at the 28mm wide end. The 2 ED lenses effectively compensates for the chromatic aberration.

Plus, Panasonic's Nano Surface Coating technology is adopted to minimize the reflection at entire visual light range (380nm-780nm) by applying the extra-low refractive index coating with nano-sized structure on the surface of the lens. It results in the super clear picture with dramatic reduction of ghost and flare.

The POWER O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) which is newly integrated in the LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 14-42mm / F3.5-5.6 ASPH. / POWER O.I.S. makes it easy to shoot super clear shots even in low-lit situations such as in night time or indoors. With the improved sensitivity of the gyro sensor, the new POWER O.I.S. suppresses large, slow movement 2x more effectively**. On the other hand, small, fast movements are compensated by the conventional MEGA O.I.S..

When mounted on the cameras of LUMIX G Micro System, users can take advantage of the contrast AF system and the convenient functions applied from it. Adopting an inner focus system driven by a stepping motor, the superior optical design realizes outstanding smoothness to support the high speed AF system of LUMIX G cameras. It achieves approx. 0.1 second Light Speed AF*** thanks to the downsizing of focus lens and its amount of movement. By speeding up the aperture control, shutter time lag is also shortened by approx. 40% compared with the LUMIX G VARIO 14-42mm / F3.5-5.6 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S..****

With its minimum focus distance of 0.2m (14-20mm) / 0.3m (21-42mm), the new lens provides a maximum photographic magnification of 0.34x (35mm equivalent). 7 aperture blades consists a circular aperture diaphragm and produces an attractive smoothness in out-of-focus areas even shooting at large aperture.
Offering more fashionable, sophisticated look with two color option of black and silver, the new LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 14-42mm / F3.5-5.6 ASPH. / POWER O.I.S. perfectly matches any color of cameras from LUMIX G Micro System to be a part of the photographic life.

* When the lens is retracted.
** Compared with the conventional MEGA O.I.S..
*** The time for focusing on the subject is measured with the DMC-GF3 to move the lens position to "2m" from "infinity" position at wide-end. The firmware of the GF3 must be updated to Ver.1.1 or later. Panasonic measurement method.
**** Measured with DMC-GF3. The time required to start exposure after the shutter button is fully pressed after the lens position is moved from "infinity" to "2m". The zoom position is at wide-end. The firmware of the GF3 must be updated to Ver.1.1 or later. Panasonic measurement method.

The industry’s first adoption of Multi-Actuator Floating Inner Focus System* which controls 3 lens groups separately by the individual actuator achieves downsizing in both size and weight. It also achieves high descriptive performance for resolution and contrast at entire zoom range 45-175mm (35mm camera equivalent: 90-350mm) without changing the overall length.
Although the LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm / F4.0-5.6 ASPH. / POWER O.I.S. covers long zoom range from standard to telephoto, it boasts outstanding compactness with approx. 90.0mm in length and approx. 210g in weight to realize ultra-high mobility. Notably, the astonishingly short overall length is realized by the inclusion of 2 aspherical lenses. The zoom lever allows stable zooming with ease even when shooting moving subject.

The new LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm / F4.0-5.6 ASPH. / POWER O.I.S. lens offers a versatile zoom range of 45-175mm (35mm camera equivalent: 90-350mm). Notably high contrast and resolution is assured for images shot at its wide-end, which means it is suitable for taking portrait. In addition, subject distant away like sports or wildlife animal can be captured sharply even at tele-end.

The lens system features the inclusion of 2 ED lenses, which suppress chromatic aberration, contributing to high descriptive performance at entire zoom range. Plus, Panasonic's Nano Surface Coating technology is adopted to minimize the reflection at entire visual light range (380nm-780nm) by applying the extra-low refractive index coating with nano-sized structure on the surface of the lens. It results in the super clear picture with dramatic reduction of ghost and flare.

The POWER O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) which is newly integrated in the LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm / F4.0-5.6 ASPH. / POWER O.I.S. makes it easy to shoot super clear shots even in low-lit situations such as in night time or indoors. With the improved sensitivity of the gyro sensor, the new POWER O.I.S. suppresses large, slow movement 2x more effectively**. On the other hand, small, fast movements are compensated by the conventional MEGA O.I.S..

When mounted on the cameras of LUMIX G Micro System, users can take advantage of the contrast AF system and the convenient functions applied from it. Adopting an inner focus system driven by a stepping motor, the superior optical design realizes outstanding smoothness to support the Light Speed AF of approx. 0.15 second***. By speeding up the aperture control, shutter time lag is also shortened by approx. 20% compared with the LUMIX G VARIO 45-200mm / F4.0-5.6 / MEGA O.I.S..****

7 aperture blades consists a circular aperture diaphragm and produces an attractive smoothness in out-of-focus areas even shooting at large aperture.

Offering more fashionable, sophisticated look with two color option of black and silver, the new LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm / F4.0-5.6 ASPH. / POWER O.I.S. perfectly matches any color of cameras from LUMIX G Micro System to be a part of the photographic life.

* For a digital interchangeable zoom lens as of August 26, 2011.
** Compared with the conventional MEGA O.I.S..
*** The time for focusing on the subject is measured with the DMC-GF3 to move the lens position to "2m" from "infinity" position at wide-end. The firmware of the GF3 must be updated to Ver.1.1 or later. Panasonic measurement method.
**** Measured with DMC-GF3. The time required to start exposure after the shutter button is fully pressed after the lens position is moved from "infinity" to "2m" at wide-end. The firmware of the GF3 must be updated to Ver.1.1 or later. Panasonic measurement method.

Specifications:

LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm / F4.0-5.6 ASPH. / POWER O.I.S.

Lens Construction

14 elements in 10 groups (2 aspherical lenses, 2 ED lenses)

Nano Surface Coating

YES

Mount

Micro Four Thirds mount

Optical Image Stabilizer

YES (POWER O.I.S.)

Focal Length

f=45mm to 175mm (35mm camera equivalent 90mm to 350mm)

Aperture Type

7 diaphragm blades / Circular aperture diaphragm

Aperture Range

F4.0(Wide) - F5.6(Tele)

Minimum Aperture

F22

Closest Focusing Distance

0.9m / 3.0ft

Maximum Magnification

Approx. 0.2x / 0.4x (35mm camera equivalent)

Diagonal Angle of View

27°(W) - 7.1°(T)

Filter Size

φ46mm / 1.8inch

Max. Diameter

φ61.6mm / 2.4inch

Overall Length

Approx. 90mm / 3.5inch (from the tip of the lens to the base side of the lens mount)

As the top-end model of LUMIX’s popular FZ series, the FZ150 combines a new 12.1-megapixel MOS sensor and the renowned Venus Engine giving the camera high-performance image recording capability in both higher light sensitivity and speed. And as a step-up from the recently announced LUMIX FZ47’s 1920 x 1080 60i video feature, the FZ150 realizes 1920 x 1080 60p Full-HD AVCHD Progressive (MPEG-4 / H.264) format. It is also possible to take still images while recording video simultaneously (3.5-megapixel) and the powerful 24x optical zoom is available in video recording. The FZ150 incorporates a stereo zoom microphone with a Wind Cut function, so that videos come with high-quality stereo sound through Dolby® Digital Stereo Creator.

“Panasonic continues to strive to meet the photography demands of its consumers by providing unique features and advanced technology in all our LUMIX digital cameras,” said Darin Pepple, Senior Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “With the 24x Optical Zoom and 3D shooting capabilities the FZ150 is a versatile, powerful camera that gives users endless options to take creative and high-quality images and videos.”

The Light Speed AF of approx. 0.1 sec never misses fleeting photo opportunities. To encourage step-up users to enjoy shooting even more, full manual control is available with the FZ150. Users can enjoy image shooting while expressing their intention not only in photos but also in video, utilizing a host of options including the new Creative Control and Photo Style with a wide variety of preset options. The effective hand-shake correction system POWER O.I.S. now gains Active mode, which helps to record stable video even if shot while walking.

The LUMIX’s popular iA (Intelligent Auto) Mode powerfully assists in any shooting situations to get the best results. Thanks to the Intelligent Resolution technology, Intelligent Zoom is available with the FZ150 extending the zoom ratio by approx. 1.3x, maintaining the picture quality while combining a digital zoom. This means the 24x optical zoom can virtually extend to a 32x equivalent. Not only drawing near the subject that is far away with its powerful optical zoom, the 25mm ultra wide angle lens captures approx.196% wider angle of view compared with a standard 35mm camera. This is helpful for shooting dynamic landscape or indoor group portrait.

The popular iA (Intelligent Auto) Mode is also available in video recording. The POWER O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer), Face Detection, Intelligent Scene Selector and Intelligent D-range Control also support shooting beautiful videos with ease. The Intelligent Scene Selector automatically switches between Normal, Portrait, Macro, Scenery, and Low Light modes according to the situation, to optimize visual quality. The Intelligent D-range Control makes images look more natural by preventing blocked shadows and blown highlights to optimize the exposure for each part of an image. It also ensures a beautiful reproduction of gradation and details.

A new 12-Megapixel High Sensitivity MOS sensor pursuing Resolution, Sensitivity and Speed has been incorporated along with the renowned Venus Engine enabling the FZ150 to excel in image processing power. The combination of these powerful components results in the S/N ratio improvement by 3.9dB (ISO 100) to 4.7dB (ISO1600) compared with the predecessor – the FZ100. Newly developed Multi-process Noise Reduction applies optimum noise reduction according to the brightness of the part of the picture. Both high frequency noise that occurs in the dark part and low frequency noise in the light part are suppressed even in a picture. As a result, Images recorded in low-lit situations are now dramatically clear.

The Venus Engine has a quad-circuit system for processing large amount of progressive Full HD data at high speed. Not only 1920 x 1080 60p smooth Full-HD video recording, but also super fast consecutive shots at 12 fps (without auto focusing) and 5.5 fps (with auto focusing) in full resolution. It is also compatible with recording high-speed video at 220fps in QVGA. At the same time, the multi-task image-processing engine, the Venus Engine, realizes a super-fast response time. The auto focus gains approx. 50% faster speed compared with the FZ100, achieving Light Speed AF of approx. 0.1 second. The speed in AF Tracking also becomes faster, thanks to the improved tracking performance which doubles its sampling frequency.

The FZ150 provides the new Creative Control mode with a selection of artistic effect modes; Expressive, Retro, High Key, Sepia, High Dynamic, Miniature Effect, Film Grain and Pin Hole. In addition, Photo Style is newly added to the FZ150 for the expression of finer nuance. It has Standard, Vivid, Natural, Monochrome, Scenery, Portrait presets, while enabling finer adjustment of contrast, sharpness, saturation and noise reduction by each.

As a further step-up from the FZ47, the FZ150 is equipped with a hot shoe allowing attachment of various accessories including an optional stereo microphone (DMW-MS1) or an optional external flash (DMW-FL220 / FL360 / FL500). The FZ150 is also compatible with an optional remote shutter (DMW-RSL1) for advanced expression in photography.

The newly-added 3D Photo mode takes 20 panning shots and then the camera automatically selects the two most suitable images – one for the right eye and one for the left eye – to synthesize a 3D composite. The 3D image can then be viewed on any VIERA 3D HDTV. The format of 3D images is compatible with MPO which can be played back on other MPO-compatible equipment.

PHOTOfunSTUDIO 6.5 BD Edition Software makes it possible to sort and organize photos not only of those newly taken but also of those stored on the PC with quick start-up and fast read-in of images. Recorded videos can be edited with the Short Movie Story function and written into MPEG2 to burn onto a Blu-ray or DVD disc.

The Panasonic LUMIX FZ150 will be available in black for a suggested retail price of $499.99,starting in late-September 2011. For more information on Panasonic LUMIX digital cameras, please visit www.panasonic.com/lumix.

IQ from m4/3 is still poor compared to APSC and way below FF. I was hoping the new generation of m4/3 would be different, so far it’s just been improving the camera handling and the AF, but with regards to IQ, and high ISO, I think there’s still a long wait.